US Compromises Won Turkey's Backing for Kurdish-Led Offensive

July 15,2016 13:09

Turkey agreed to back a pivotal offensive in Syria led by its Kurdish adversaries after intense U.S. lobbying that culminated in a secret May meeting, according to U.S. officials, an agreement that could lead to wider cooperation in the fight against ...and more »

Turkey agreed to back a pivotal offensive in Syria led by its Kurdish adversaries after intense U.S. lobbying that culminated in a secret May meeting, according to U.S. officials, an agreement that could lead to wider cooperation in the fight against Islamic State militants. The U.S. won Turkish backing for the assault on the Syrian city of Manbij with a series of political and tactical compromises to rein in the Kurds, Turkish, U.S. and British officials said. That included having U.S. special-operations forces and local...